OP-ED COLUMN
By Pepe
In my opinion, the single most valuable thing about social media is the opportunity it presents to us to open our minds to multiple points of view. Social media platforms are the great equalizers: allowing users to express opinions on a global level and letting the ensuing debate to play out in a public forum.
To that end, we at Your New Times are not of one mind on all subjects. And while we all agree that that social media is the greatest invention since sliced bread, the degree of enthusiasm each of us has for particular tools varies. Which brings me to the subject of Twitter.
We have been preaching about Twitter being the “next big thing” in the world of social media. The argument being that it allows users to connect on a micro-level, sharing ideas as they happen, providing a communications backchannel at conference events and — at the most basic level — alerting “followers” to your whereabouts and goings-on at any given moment. I understand the arguments. But I still didn’t quite get why I should care. Even more than that, I was convinced that the last thing this world needs is another reason for people to be “connecting” with their gadgets instead of the human beings that surround them.
So like any responsible citizen journalist, I did my homework. I signed up and started tweeting. Kind of. My approach at first was more like that of a shy little girl on the schoolyard, tentatively asking the other kids if she can join their game of four-square. Every now and then I would tweet something like, “Ordering Chinese food.” And then feel like kind of a loser when no one responded. Feeling like a loser does not usually make me feel connected.
Until I realized that most of the Twitter-ers I follow are also tweeting into the void. All day long I listen to my Blackjack vibrate as my SMS inbox fills with captivating tweets like “Traffic’s not so bad today,” “Sitting at my desk working,” and “Currently moving 350lbs organ into a hearse by myself,” (okay, that one was kind of captivating). And as Twittermania spreads through my network of colleagues, I find myself getting slowly sucked in, evolving from shy schoolgirl to awkward, slightly bolder, teen.
Am I “seeing the value,” as we are so often asked in PR? The jury is still out. But when I find myself alone in my apartment, still working at 2 A.M., and tweet “Can anybody hear me?,” even when I get no response, I must admit I still feel a little more connected to the followers I know I’ve just awakened with my message. Tweet along with me, won’t you? You can find me at: http://www.twitter.com/Emobray
In fact, why not follow the whole YNT team?:
Coco: http://www.twitter.com/cocodamour
Stingray: http://www.twitter.com/Perfectporridge
Rex: http://www.twitter.com/Romanholiday
Gonzo: http://www.twitter.com/Vemrion
Still a reluctant Twitter-er? Watch this video for a quick overview of the social network.